Vermont storyteller Malcolm “Mac” Parker was sentenced to more than four and a half years in jail Wednesday for his role in defrauding hundreds of investors who put money into the film “Birth of Innocence.”

Two days after the films silent partner Louis Soteriou was sentenced to seven years in jail for pocketing almost $4 million of the $28 million raised over the course of a decade on the film, Parker, who was described as the face of the film and the trusted community figure who solicited funds from friends, family and neighbors, apologized to his victims and promised to spend his life working to make restitution payments on the roughly $9 million that was diverted over 10 years.

Federal prosecutors and Parker’s attorney both asked the court to hand down a reduced three-year jail sentence to reflect Parker’s cooperation and his aid in prosecuting Soteriou.

But Judge Christina Reiss decided that while Parker’s cooperation warranted some reduction from the 72-month sentence that federal guidelines called for, she said she was concerned about his lack of accountability for the crime.

While Parker pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud investors, the judge said deflecting statements that he made from the stand while testifying against Soteriou on Monday troubled her. Of equal concern, she said, was Parker’s willingness to blame Soteriou’s influence for his actions despite the fact that Parker continued to solicit money and lie to investors after he realized that Soteriou was not going to be able to deliver on his promise of repaying the debts.